Posted on 08/25/2012 12:09:20 PM PDT by kreitzer
Prediction: If the GOP establishment doesn’t follow Republican Rep. Todd Akin’s example with a big, fat apology – to Akin – the whole party goes down in flames come November.
I don’t mean every Republican will lose, but there is great political peril in not sealing the hole in Republican armor that has opened in Missouri and instead permitting it to remain a Democratic pressure point. Further, “for the good of the country” (the mantra accompanying the party-wide chorus of pleas to Akin to drop out of his U.S. Senate race), Republicans must resume funding Akin’s viable campaign ASAP, after cutting it off in a mad fit of political pique. Finally, every one of them – the party standard-bearer, party bosses, congressional delegations, allied pundits – should come together for a group smack on the head, as in, “What were we thinking?”
I can’t recall anything in public life more widely craven and uncalled for than the open panic and bullying set off across the Republican Party by the first replay of Akin’s perplexingly ignorant interview comments on rape and pregnancy. The veteran conservative lawmaker, former engineer, former businessman and grandfather of eight recanted these remarks. He apologized for them.
But as the left began to bay for blood over a Republican and, by preposterous extension, Republican Party it hopes to smear as “anti-woman,” Republicans across the board, incredibly, joined in. Rather than jouncing Democrats back into some semblance of decent behavior with a firm, party-wide reality check – comparing a dumb comment about rape from one among their ranks with, say, accusations of actual rape against Democrats’ two-term hero, Bill Clinton – Republicans obligingly cut off their own noses and handed them to their political opponents.
The headline in the New York Times this week said it all: “GOP is pressing candidate to quit over rape remark.” Funny how we never, ever saw anything similar in the 1990s, when bombshells about Bill Clinton’s serial sexual harassment and assault of women were a common occurrence. Something like: “Dems pressing president to quit over rape.”
Didn’t happen. In fact, far from “pressuring” the former president into a quiet post-presidency retirement, the Democrats are spotlighting the overexposed sexual reprobate with a center-stage role at their upcoming convention. There, Clinton will officially re-nominate Barack Obama for president.
What else can we expect from the party that still lionizes Ted Kennedy, the late Massachusetts politician who notoriously left a young female campaign worker to drown in a sinking car rather than get help? Just as serial sexual improprieties perpetrated by Bill Clinton don’t count in Democrat-land as “anti-woman,” neither does Kennedy’s unconscionable behavior at Chappaquiddick. Both men not only remained in office, they remain the Democrats’ ideal.
A muddled, recanted remark about reproductive biology, however, puts a Republican one or two steps away from Hitler. He must be shunned by “decent” society, his whole career destroyed, the primary votes he won nullified, to expiate his “sin.”
Worst of all is the Republican Party’s unified acquiescence to this illogical, unjust and amoral equivalence. In fact, without the GOP’s lockstep, take-me-to-your-leader obedience to the Democrats’ rigged rules, the pitch of this controversy would have died down already. Without the Republicans’ vigorous enforcement of the left’s double standards, Akin would probably still be facing favorable odds of winning the Missouri Senate seat.
But no, which is what deeply concerns me. Indulging ginned-up, hack hysterics is not the behavior of a leader or a winner. Worse, accommodating unjust attacks on a solid citizen in the name of practicality or the “greater good” is a very dangerous precedent, as totalitarian history tells us. That’s why the GOP needs to rethink Missouri and make amends with Akin before “moving on.” Otherwise, I fear that in its vital quest to prevent Barack Obama from winning a second term, it won’t be moving anywhere.
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Some might call Akin’s chances at this point a ‘Riverboat gamble’, but anyone who’s been in politics long enough would call it a ‘suckers bet’.
It matters little what people now say he should or shouldn't do. He's in this thing to the end...
>> “Just for the record: not every person who voted for Todd Akin in the August 7 primary was a Democrat” <<
.
No evidence that any were democrats.
Akin is the best choice for the office, and lots of voters know it.
His comment was not adroitly delivered, but it was factual, nevertheless, from a biological standpoint.
Akin represents a rock-solid Republican district. Once you get past the primary, the seat is yours. Democrats don’t even bother to compete in this district.
Even though he probably can’t win the State election, he would still win his Congressional District in a cakewalk. Akin has never had a hard race in his life, after winning the GOP primary the first time.
My point is , Akin has never had to appeal to independents or Reagan Democrats. And frankly , he doesn’t know how to.
The republican party suffers from a terrible case of multiple personality disorder.
Primarily, though, they are not really conservatives for a real conservative is conservative across the spectrum: social, defense, and fiscal.
Real conservatives know that you conservatism is about preserving the valuable to maintain your strength. They know that strong Christian values lead to strong natural families which leads to strong rational citizens which leads to strong economies which leads to strong defense of freedom.
You can't have a bunch of drugged or drunken sots chasing their lates orgasm and leaving children to their own devices or to unnatural directions and expect anything resembling strength to result. You end up with liars, tramps, thieves, traitors, weaklings, lustful, and degenerate.
That's the population you choose your leadership from. Good luck with that.
The republican party suffers from a terrible case of multiple personality disorder.
Primarily, though, they are not really conservatives for a real conservative is conservative across the spectrum: social, defense, and fiscal.
Real conservatives know that you conservatism is about preserving the valuable to maintain your strength. They know that strong Christian values lead to strong natural families which leads to strong rational citizens which leads to strong economies which leads to strong defense of freedom.
You can't have a bunch of drugged or drunken sots chasing their latest orgasm and leaving children to their own devices or to unnatural directions and expect anything resembling strength to result. You end up with liars, tramps, thieves, traitors, weaklings, lustful, and degenerate.
That's the population you choose your leadership from. Good luck with that.
>> “Any chance they have to keep a Conservative out of Congress, they will take it.
Even if it means losing the Senate.” <<
.
An eternal truism, to be sure.
By now, you should be seeing the validity of my tagline, to which you so strenuously objected. These people are politically imbeciles.
But, with continued bashing, how lucky will republicans be?
I appreciate the comment and I do support the conservative cause whether it be Tea Party or Republican.
Being a senior citizen, I am not so concerned about myself and my future but for the future of my children and grandchildren. They are the ones who will pay the price.
Yes, it may come down to voting for Akin, but until then, I will hope for a better candidate.
Republicans using tankers of gasoline to thoroughly douse Akin before lighting him on fire have been a gift to Democrats.
I saw some polling that it was men and not women who ran away from Akin. Sorry I can’t cite the source as it was last week and long ago. The running away Republican men are so p whipped by politically correctness.
I don’t see any proof that any other eligible candidate would beat McCaskill. I think we have determined that Steelman and Brunner are ineligible to even be on the ballot.
You won’t give up, will you. You’re already in over your chest waders in the cess pool.
“However, if anyone believes that Akin is really down 10 points to McCaskill, I’ve got the proverbial bridge to sell them. His numbers held with Independents.”
NOPE. WRONG. THEY DIDNT. And yes Akin is really down 8-10 points.
Mason-Dixon poll is now the SECOND poll after Ras to show Akin down by 9 points. In it, MCCASKILL LEADS AKIN 53-35 AMONG INDEPENDENTS. And leads by 20 points among women:
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/08/25/mason-dixon-mo-poll-romney-up-5043-over-obama/
Oh and there is more:
MORE MISSOURI REPUBLICANS WANT AKIN TO WITHDRAW THAN TO STAY. This whole ‘will of the voter’ thing is being completely and conveniently ignored by Akin as he decides that his 3-way tiny plurality vitory means more than the desire of the majority of Mo Republicans since his gaffe.
“As far as the US Senate race, it’s amazing that Akin’s still within nine points — a testament to the weakness of McCaskill. On the question of whether Akin should withdraw, a slim plurality of McCaskill voters say he shouldn’t (44/40) … but a majority of Akin’s self-described voters think he should, 50/34. Independents think he should withdraw by thirty-two points, 57/25, but 35% of them will still vote for Akin. His favorables are at -39, 17/56, and yet he’s still getting 41% of the vote. Like I said … amazing.”
I am amazed by those who blithely claim that Akin is electable. He is down by 10 points against a candidate - McCaskill - who is as popular as headlice, but now is in a grand position to beat Akin by double digits. This will be a true “lesser of two evil” vote for a lot of voters and it will be a crying shame if Republicans cant put a winning candidate out there, because Akin will surely lose.
“To imagine that GOP voters are going to desert Akin for McCaskill is pure fantasy, “
I agree - but Akin is down 20 points with indies and women, and he’s not running a campaign that will get them back ===> He’s toast.
His voting record does that for him. And in the SHOW ME state, actions speak louder than words.
Republicans have done nothing of the kind. Akin did it himself with his words. People need to quit shooting the messengers here. I am just stating the obvious that one concludes from polls etc.
“I saw some polling that it was men and not women who ran away from Akin. Sorry I can’t cite the source as it was last week and long ago.”
Outdated and wrong. see my #152.
See latest poll:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/august-missouri-poll-results/table_640309f2-ee25-11e1-bb2a-001a4bcf6878.html
Akin down 10, and down 53-35 among independents and down 20 points with women.
“I don’t see any proof that any other eligible candidate would beat McCaskill.”
Ras poll of Aug 1 had Brunner and Steelman leading McCaskill by 7 points, obviously better than Akin’s current 10 point deficit.
” I think we have determined that Steelman and Brunner are ineligible to even be on the ballot.”
They are only ineligible as write-ins. Brunner or Steelman could be replacement if Akin withdraws.
That’s why it was strongly desired that Akin withdrew. We go from a gaffe-prone loser to winning a seat in one fell swoop.
>> “IMO, the main reason Sarah P endorsed Sarah S was because she was a woman = good old-fashioned ‘identity politics.’ “ <<
An absolute fact.
Look for Palin to remain silent now, to keep from looking more foolish than her 3rd party comment was.
“Akin’s answer to the question was both honest, and essentially correct, as far as the biological understanding goes.”
No, it wasn’t. With consenting adults, the pregnancy rate is about 3% at best for any one “encounter”. With a rape, it would be much less than 3%, since some rapes are without vaginal penetration, or even with that, some men don’t “finish”. So..... 1/2% maybe? That’s a guess on my part, since there is no real way of telling.
Akin said women have a biological way of stopping pregnancy from a rape, which is just not true. Pregnancy is rare, for every woman, but biology is biology, and if the lil sperm penetrates the lil egg, the woman is pregnant, period. (or lack of it)
You hardcore Akinites are off the rail... kneejerk is all you got. I will have something to say tomorrow regarding “standing on principle”... something people seem to overuse when when standing on thin ice... talk at-cha later... by the way go crack a beer if your principles will allow it, mine do...
Your tagline is a reflection of your political naivete and ignorance.
And only shows the contempt you have for your betters.
Thanks for bringing it up...
>> “Akin said women have a biological way of stopping pregnancy from a rape, which is just not true” <<
.
If you believe that you need some education. Even an argument between husband and wife, when she is at peak fertility can prevent fertilization.
I don’t know what you’re even trying to say WRT rape, but what Akin said is largely true. the presence of the sperm and egg in the uterus does not guarantee fertilization. Stress chemically inhibits it.
http://www.rbej.com/content/8/1/53
“The most common causes of failure to ovulate are:
Stress, weight fluctuations, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (P.C.O.S.). Other causes may include disorders of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland and raised prolactin levels.”
http://cairoivf.com/treatments-ovulation_induction.html
“In conclusion, acute stress on the day of proestrus can affect female reproductive physiology. Moreover, the angiotensinergic system, through AT(1) receptors, participates in the effects of acute stress in the morning of proestrus.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17573075
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Animal breeding also is affected by stress. Zoos, in particular, have difficulty getting some animals to reproduce in captivity, Bentley said.
Based on animal experiments, researchers attribute much of this stress effect on sexual function to an increase in glucocorticoids - stress hormones - produced by the adrenal gland. In the brain, these glucocorticoids suppress the main reproductive hormone, GnRH, which in turn causes a shut-down of the release of the gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone by the pituitary, and then a suppression of testosterone, estradiol and sexual behavior.
In 2000, however, a new reproductive hormone was discovered in birds and dubbed gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) because it had the opposite effect of GnRH - it inhibited release of gonadotropins, thereby suppressing reproduction.
“It’s very adaptive to not be wasting resources on reproduction during times of acute stress, to just shut down reproduction for 24 hours or so until the stress is gone,” said co-author Daniela Kaufer, a UC Berkeley assistant professor of integrative biology who looks at how stress affects molecular processes in the brain. “These functions go back in evolution a long way.”
. . ..
Kirby showed that acutely stressed rats showed increased RFRP levels for several hours, but that levels returned to normal by the next day. Chronically stressed rats, however, were left with longer-term elevations of RFRP levels in the dorsomedial hypothalamus area of the brain, and suppression of activity in the reproductive axis - the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal hormone cascade - that is associated with lowered sexual activity.
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